Friday, November 10, 2006

Is it weekend yet?

Well, it's been a really exciting week and, frankly, I'm tired of it. During Bush's Wednesday press conference, we learned that while the president was reassuring us of his commitment to retain Rumsfeld as defense secretary, he was really in the process of replacing him. But this was all happening on the weekend before the election, so rather than just say nothing about the "great job" Rumsfeld was doing, the president lied to us. As he explained on Wednesday, he had to. That's politics. Seems that's what politics often makes of politicians--liars.

Also during that Wednesday press conference while speaking of Iraq and the American people, Bush said:

"Somehow it seeped in their conscious that my attitude was just simply 'stay the course.'"

Shouldn't someone sit the president down and play Keith Olberman's Countdown recordings of Bush saying to the public "stay the course" in at least thirty different public speeches on tape? I'm wondering if Bush is that seriously delusional, Ronald Reaganal, i.e., in the degenerative stages of Alzheimers, or just flat out lying to us again. Any one of those possibilities is extremely dangerous for a leader who wipes his feet on the Constitution and can start wars on whim.

And I watched Rumsfeld speak at Kansas State University yesterday when the closest thing to criticism during the brief Q&A session by the "critical" members of the student body came when one student rose to inquire how Rumsfeld would grade himself.

Rumsfeld responded, "I'd let history worry about that." I wasn't enjoying that until Mrs. Dada pointed out that Rummy was in fact "flipping his questioner off!" It was then I noticed him rubbing the side of his nose with his extended middle finger while answering. Could it be? A Freudian gesture perhaps?

Then it was on to yesterday's "love fest" luncheon between the president and new house speaker, Nancy Pelosi. To temper our post election expectations, please forgive as I resort to using the "N" word here, but as Nader reminded us, "Democrats gained the majority in the House, it was on the backs of some very rightwing Democrats who won the election against rightwing Republican incumbents. And so, there was no mandate for any progressive agenda."

Perhaps that explains Pelosi's conciliatory attitude towards the president. Or maybe it's just post-game congratulations before the fireworks display begins. Whichever, I only know that it's extremely disappointing to me that in this country a president can get impeached for staining a blue dress, while a president who's stained the entire Earth breaks bread with his opposition in cordiality.

Such is the art of politics I suppose. Something of which I know little other than it's extremely dangerous and tiresome. It's been a long week.

That whole Bush needless reaffirmation, then rejection of Rummie was surreal! Oh, but he was forced to lie because he was asked a question and couldn't remember the old tired standby "I can't comment on that right now". Or even one of Cheney's favorite responses, "I reject your premise". Is this idiot incapable of absorbing anything from his evil masters?

still, i'm glad rummie's bit the dust. the great known unknown awaits him. or is that the unknown known? as long as it involves the lowest level of hell, where they play a continuous loop of "it's a small, small world." ~~ D.K.

I think there is more to come...Nancy is of fine Baltimore Italian stock....and she knows how to play poker with the Boys....I think January is going to be far from boring....and I think AZ is right it is up to us to be vigilant.....very...and keep watch and get ready...There will be letters to write and Hell to raise- but for a week or so- let's take a deep breath, and settle onto the hearth and have a cold one....just keep the Poker ready to poke the Fire....and Dada, you are one of the many fine bloggers who kept the Fire stoked - so enjoy a bit of a sit....and hell, I will even bring the salsa and chips....

THE BEGINNING IS NEAR

HUH?

You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that, you son of a bitch."

— Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut, People magazine, 8 April 1974.

"Keep in mind that this planet is no model for rational thought, and that what passes for sanity here is sending chills down the spine of the remainder of the universe." E.T. 101

"An Empire’s power depends on its ability to control the cultural stories and language that shape our collective understanding of our world and our choices as a species. Empire stories induce a kind of cultural trance that conditions us to accept the dominator relations of Empire as just and righteous and to dismiss talk of alternatives as naïve, dangerous, or even sinful." ~ David Korten